BWhat is Bible Prophecy? places

Bible prophecies often involve specific places. And usually that place is all or part of All of God's people believe that a Bible prophecy is a God-given revelation of the future. God gave His prophets, including Moses, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophecies of the future. He did this to prepare people for the future, and to show that He is the one true God and that He is all-powerful.

A prophecy is not a prediction of the future - it is a promise about the future. God gave promises to His prophets. He told them, for example, that the Jews would be forced out of Israel, scattered worldwide, persecuted worldwide, and that they would eventually return to Israel. All of these promises have been fulfilled.

There are different kinds of prophecies. Some prophecies are about a Messiah, which means "anointed one" or "chosen one." These are called "Messianic" prophecies. Christians believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies. There also are "end time" prophecies. These prophecies refer to a time of war, famine and pestilence, after which a Messiah will reign over the world with justice and righteousness. Christians believe that this Messiah is also Jesus, who will return in the future.

The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies. Some were fulfilled more than 3000 years ago. Others have been fulfilled since then. And, by our count, more than 50 have found fulfillment or partial fulfillment during the past 200 years. Many Bible prophecies have found fulfillment more than once, such as the prophecies that the Jews would have Israel as their own country. (The Jews had sovereignty over the land of Israel about 3400 years ago up until about 2700 years ago, and again in 1948).

Based on our own personal studies, it appears that the majority of Bible prophecies have these characteristics in common:
the Jewish homeland. Many prophecies refer specifically to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Judah is the southern part of the Jewish homeland. Jerusalem is Israel's most important city. It was established as the Jewish capital by King David about 3000 years ago. When prophecies involve other nations, such as Tyre, Babylon, Nineveh or Edom, it is because those nations had sought the destruction of the Jewish homeland, or the Jews, or both.

Bible prophecies involve specific places

Bible prophecies often involve specific places. And usually that place is all or part of the Jewish homeland. Many prophecies refer specifically to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Judah is the southern part of the Jewish homeland. Jerusalem is Israel's most important city. It was established as the Jewish capital by King David about 3000 years ago. When prophecies involve other nations, such as Tyre, Babylon, Nineveh or Edom, it is because those nations had sought the destruction of the Jewish homeland, or the Jews, or both.

Bible prophets are Jewish

God chose to reveal His words to one group of people - the Jews. This has helped to ensure that we have one source of information for God's teachings. And, because Israel is literally in the "middle" of the world, near the convergence of the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, the Jews have been in a unique geographical position to influence the world with the monotheistic teachings of about one true God. The Bible, in Exodus 19:6, said the Jews were to be a "nation of priests." The Jews were to teach the rest of the world about God. And, during the past 2000 years, the Jews have accomplished this remarkable feat. Through the influence of the Hebrew scriptures, about half of the world's people have abandoned their pagan religions and now worship a monotheistic God.

More About Prophecy

• To prophesy means to speak or act on behalf of God. He loves to communicate to His people and the prophetic gift is one way that He uses. God is an all knowing God. He knows everything about everything! All wisdom and knowledge belongs to Him.
• The Holy Spirit is within Christians to reveal the things to come and to lead and guide us into all truth. He gives insights into the heart and mind of God. When we are sensitive to Him, He will often lead us into prophetic revelation. We can learn to listen and discern.
• Prophetic words are to bring encouragement, life, and blessing to people. One prophetic word can change a life forever. Jesus said in John 6:63, "The flesh profits nothing. It is the Spirit that gives life. The words I speak they are spirit and life."  Prophetic words will bring life and blessing from the heart of God.

WHY EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD STUDY PROPHECY

Prophecy forms a large and important portion of Scripture, and the
following are some of the reasons why it should be studied:


1. Prophecy is revelation (De. 29:29; Am. 3:7; Mt. 13:10-12; Rev. 1:1;
22:6,10). According to these and many other passages, prophecy is said
to reveal secrets, not hide them. Prophecy is light, not darkness. It is
the false methods of interpretation that have made prophecy seem obscure.


2. Prophecy is a blessing (Rev. 1:3). God has promised a special
blessing to the one who reads Bible prophecy.


3. Prophecy is necessary for spiritual perfection (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We
are told that ALL Scripture is given by God and is profitable and
necessary for the building of the mature Christian. Is prophecy not a
large part of Scripture? Indeed, prophecy is woven into the very warp
and woof of the Word of God. The study of, understanding of, and
obedience to prophecy is seen as essential for a strong Christian life.


4. Prophecy is dependable (Isa. 25:1; 2 Pe. 1:19-21). According to the
Apostle Peter, in the first chapter of his second epistle, the written
prophetic Word is more dependable than visions (v. 16), than voices (v.
17), than great spiritual mountaintop experiences (v. 18). Prophecy is a
great light in a dark world.


5. It is our responsibility to study prophecy (Lk. 24:25-27). The Lord
Jesus Christ firmly rebuked the disciples for not believing prophecy. At
the judgment seat of Christ every Christian will be held accountable for
whether or not he studied and believed the prophecies of the Bible. In
light of this warning, we must reject the tendency by so many to treat
prophecy lightly. Not only will the Christian be held accountable for
his attitude toward prophecy, but the unbeliever will be, as well. In
Luke 16:29-31, Abraham told the rich man in Hell that his lost brothers
on earth would be accountable for whether or not they believed the prophets.


6. Bible prophecy has power to sanctify the Christian life. A literal
interpretation of Bible prophecy makes the student aware that the coming
of Christ is imminent and that he must therefore be ready at all times
to meet Him (Mat. 24:42, 44; 25:13; Rev. 22:7). It thus gives hope in a
hopeless world (Rom. 15:4). It gives joy (Jn. 8:56). It gives comfort in
trials (1 Th. 4:18; Isa. 40:1-2). It gives understanding in the midst of
confusion (Dan. 9:1-2). It produces diligence and purity (Rom. 13:11-14;
1 Jn. 3:1-3). It produces patience and endurance in the midst of trials
(2 Co. 4:16-18). It stimulates zealous Christian labor (1 Cor.
15:51-58). It brings time and life into proper perspective with eternity
(Ps. 73:1-3, 12-17; Isa. 26:20; 29:17; 54:7-8). It stimulates Christians
to abide in Christ (1 Jn. 2:28).


7. Prophecy is a powerful apologetic (Isaiah 41:22-23; 44:7; 45:21;
46:9-10). Bible prophecy is intended to be an apologetic. Fulfilled
prophecy proves the divine origin of the Bible to unbelievers and
increases the faith of believers. We must note that to be effective as
evidence, prophecy must be fulfilled and interpreted literally.


Professor Peter Stoner, Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont
College, examined the probabilities of just eight of the 456 prophecies
concerning Jesus Christ happening. He said the probability would be one
in 10 to the 17th power. That would be like putting a mark on a coin,
then putting that coin in with enough coins to cover the state of Texas
or the country of India two feet thick in coins, then having a blind man
wander all over the country and pick out a coin at random. The chance
that he would find that marked coin is equal to the chance of only eight
of the Messianic prophecies coming to pass.


"If that doesn't boggle your mind enough, Stoner also computed that the
probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 10 to the
157th power. How large is 10 to the 157th power? Ten to the 157th power
contains 157 zeros! He said to take, not a silver dollar, or even an
atom, but an electron for an illustration - that little tiny thing that
spins around the nucleus of the atom. Electrons are so small, by the
way, that if you had a line of electrons laid side by side to make one
inch, and you were counting four electrons every second and you counted
twenty-four hours a day, it would take you 19 million years just to
count that one-inch line of electrons.


 But how many electrons would it take if we were dealing with 10 to the
157th power of electrons? Imagine that we packed the whole earth with
electrons, and we piled them up until they reached out a mile, ten
miles, a thousand miles, a million miles from the earth! Let's make it
more than that--let's make it thirty-eight trillion miles in radius on
either side--nothing but packed electrons. Well, that's not enough,
either. Now let's multiply that number by a billion--a billion times
thirty-eight trillion miles in both directions, and you have a solid
ball of electrons. Imagine marking just one of those electrons. Then put
a man in a space ship, let him fly around as long as he wants to, and
finally he stops, gets out a microscope, and points to one of the
electrons. The probability of him selecting the right one is the same as
just 48 Bible prophecies being fulfilled in one person's life" (The Case
for Jesus the Messiah, Ankerberg, Weldon and Kaiser).


There are not merely 48 prophecies about Christ in the Bible, though.
There are 456 specific prophecies.


8. Prophecy is the believer's reality. Christians have a portion in the
things promised in Bible prophecy! It is true that the Old Testament
prophecies are not fulfilled directly in the church age, but it is also
true that the Christian will enjoy the blessings spoken of in Old
Testament prophecy, including the millennial glory of Christ (Col. 3:4;
Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21) and the renewed creation (Rom. 8:18-25). There are
also hundreds of prophecies directly related to the Christian's future
(Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15; Col. 3:1-4; 1 Th. 4; etc.).


9. Prophecy challenges believers to fulfill the Great Commission before
it is too late (Acts 1:8). It reminds us that "behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2).